Small business key to boosting apprenticeships and jobs in capital

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today (Wednesday) sent a rallying cry for more small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in the capital to create apprenticeships and help drive London out of recession.

To help small firms to take on an apprentice, the Mayor secured £6m from the government to officer a cash incentive of £1,500 available from the National Apprenticeship Service. In addition, firms can receive up to 100 per cent funding towards their training costs.

In London, small and medium sized companies are already responsible for the majority of the 63,700 opportunities that have been created since 2010. The Mayor has set a target to deliver 100,000 apprenticeships by the end of this year.

He now wants to ensure that even more small to medium sized employers, who are driving this amazing success, are aware of the support available so they can reap these benefits as well as further boost jobs and growth in London.

The Mayor’s campaign is particularly focused on companies in sectors not traditionally linked to apprenticeships and big business is also playing its part, with employers ranging from the Football Association to music giant Sony and HSBC all signing up. Apart from providing hope and opportunity to thousands of job seekers who, through the skills they develop, often secure permanent roles, these companies are also benefiting from securing highly motivated employees who can help build a loyal workforce in the longer term.

“London’s small and medium sized employers are the backbone of the economy and critical to creating jobs and powering us out of recession,” the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said.

“In the last 18 months they have really stepped up to the plate, delivering thousands of new apprenticeships across the city. However, there are many more still out there who are yet to benefit from this win-win situation and I urge them to find out about the financial support available and commit to taking on an apprentice.”